True Love's Kiss
by Keys Studio
Summary: A 'what if' possibility. What if Gonner had lived out his life as a mortal and died naturally? What if he was reincarnated as a boy who grew up to meet Dixie Grim? What if Dixie recognized him as being similar to the pirate zombie boy from her dream? Will the two know each other more than just friends should? Will they fall in love? Dixie x Gonner. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Daddy/Mummy, I'm a Zombie!, Kaboom! does. :3**

**[xXx]**

It was just another day in Boneville, Dixie Grim relaxing on her bed at her father's home. She was sitting upright, her dark 'n' light purple hair falling delicately in her face, a book in her hands. She reached up with a nimble hand, brushing back some hair from her heart shaped face as her blue eyes grazed over the words on the pages below. The book that she was reading was a story about zombies. Not ordinary zombies, though, mind you. Teenage zombies. One an Egyptian mummy girl, another a rowdy pirate boy, and another a recently dead, modern girl. In her book, Dixie had just reached the part where the modern girl kisses the pirate boy. "Huh..." she murmured with some curious awe. "So there _are_ zombie romance novels..." She would have continued on reading, but there was a knock on her bedroom door. Marking her place in her book, she glanced up with a smile. "Come in."

The door opened ever so slightly, Dixie's father peaking his head inside. He smiled warmly at his daughter, happy to see that she smiled back in return. "Dixie, sweety, could you maybe do me a favor and come entertain our guests for a moment?" he asked her a little hopefully. "I have to hurry and finish dressing Mr. Jefferson before six o'clock tonight..."

Dixie nodded, setting her book down. "Of course, Dad," she told him softly. She got up out of her bed, slipping on her black boots over her black 'n' red 'n' green stockings. She was sixteen years old, now, a good three years after her accident in the forest, and it was around Christmas time. Her attire had not really changed much from her younger years, for the most part. Her stockings and boots and belly shirts remained the same, but instead of skirts, she wore shorts that reached her midthigh, and instead of the spiked bracelets that she normally wore, she wore striped arm warmers. She also wore striped tank tops under her belly tops. Taking a quick glance in the mirror, the girl smiled to herself. She had allowed her purple hair to grow out just the slightest bit, lightly touching her shoulders in slightly wavy locks, her blue eyes were lined with black eyeliner and black eye shadow. She wore a red belly top with a black 'n' white tank top underneath. Her purple belt held up her black shorts, the skull buckle withered and worn with age. Tapping the skull slightly, it didn't open.

Not like it had in her old dream.

There was no gem inside. The skull would never open once, let alone ever again.

It had all been a dream.

Shaking her head of those thoughts, she left her room, turning out the light behind her. Closing the door behind her, she hurried down the stairs and looked around. She then spotted the guests that her father had been talking about. A small family of three, a mother, a father, and a son. The mother of the family looked to be very formal and very business-like in her posture and attire, wearing dark pantyhose under a knee length, pinstripe skirt, a white blouse, and a black button up jacket, short heeled shoes on her feet. Her eyes were a bright hazel color and her hair was brown, tied back in a tight bun on the crown of her head. The father of the family was also very business-like in his posture and attire, much like his wife, wearing a black suit, a black tie, a white collar shirt underneath, and black dress shoes. His eyes were a deep brown color and his hair was a deep red, short and well trimmed, slicked back on his head. Then there was the son.

The very obviously laid back son.

He had short, messy, auburn red hair, falling ever so slightly in his face. His eyes were a moderate brown with the ocassional speck of green in them. He was wearing a ruffled looking blouse under a black vest. He wore black pants held up by a basic brown belt, the bottoms tucked into knee-high black boots. If Dixie had to really describe the boy, it would be easily summed up into one word.

Pirate.

His brown eyes found Dixie's blue ones and suddenly, a smile adorned his tan face. "Ahoy!" he greeted.

"Gonner..." sighed both the boy's mother and boy's father.

"What?" he grinned a little rebelliously. "I'm just talkin' t' way I like to, that's all!"

"That's not how a proper gentleman speaks, though, son," his father reprimanded. "Be respectful!"

"No, no, it's fine," assured Dixie, reminding the adults rather quickly that she was there. She smiled at the boy named Gonner. "I think it's kind of different..."

"Do you like it?" beamed the boy, his brown eyes taking on a sparkle.

The girl wasn't sure what came over her. She just started to giggle. "Very much so," she told him. She then offered her hand to him. "My name is Dixie. I assume that yours is Gonner?"

Gonner took Dixie's hand with both of his own, his smile seemingly growing across his face. "You be right, Dixie," he told her. He gestured to his mother and father. "These be my parents..."

Gonner's mother offered her hand to the girl. "Mrs. Smith," she introduced herself. Dixie shook her hand with her free hand, seeing as to how Gonner seemed to refuse to give up her other hand.

Gonner's father shot his son a reprimanding look before extending his hand to the girl as well. "Mr. Smith," he introduced. Dixie shook his hand as well, noting that Gonner stuck out his tongue at the man, holding the girl's hand just a little tighter in both of his own.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Dixie told them genuinely. She lightly squeezed Gonner's hands in her own. "May I have my hand back, please?"

"Ye don't need this hand at the moment," grinned Gonner. Despite his words, though, he released her hand. He then leaned in and whispered in her ear, "What do you say t' ditchin' me parents and you can give me a tour o' your house?" He looked at her with pleading, hopeful eyes.

"Well..." paused Dixie, unsure. Her dad had asked her to entertain the guests...

"Please, Dixie?"

"Please, Dixie, what, Gonner?" the boy's mother asked, raising an amused brow at the two teenagers.

"None o' your business!" huffed Gonner, crossing his arms against his chest.

"You want to ditch us to get to know the neighbor girl, don't you?" chuckled the boy's father. That seemed to bring a blush to the pirate-like boy's cheeks.

"I-I...! That isn't...! I mean...!" Gonner stuttered, throwing his fists straight to his sides. "I just want a tour o' her house, okay?!"

His father reached over and ruffled his auburn red hair. "You can go. We just wanted to introduce ourselves to Mr. Grim, is all," he assured the two teenagers. He then gave his son an even look. "Behave yourself. Your mother and I expect you to be home by seven, understood?"

Gonner looked as though it physically pained him to comply with his parents' wishes. "Aye, father..." he grumbled.

The boy's parents smiled and nodded to Dixie, taking their leave. Gonner seemed to brighten up considerably the moment they left out the front door. Turning to Dixie, he grabbed her hand once more. "Your father works on dead people, right? Can ye show me some o' t' bodies he's already finished?"

Dixie looked at the boy with some surprise. "Are you serious?" she asked him softly. "I mean... I don't mind showing you..." It just caught the girl by surprise that a boy her age was _asking her_ to see a _dead body_.

As if sensing her discomfort, Gonner light squeezed the violette's hand. "It's alright, Dixie," he told her. "If it makes ye uncomfortable, then I won't force ye."

"No, no, it's alright," assured Dixie with some alarm. "I was just caught off guard, is all." She squeezed the male's hand. "You want to see a dead body? I'll show you a dead body."

"Really?" beamed Gonner.

The violette nodded with a small smile. "Really."


	2. Chapter 2

It was a week later, and already, both the parents of Dixie Grim and Gonner Smith could tell that their children were the best of friends. Dixie's parents could tell simply because of how the girl would talk so adamantly about the boy, always talking about their adventures together (some of which her parents warned her _not_ to do again, lest she risk getting herself or Gonner hurt in the process) and whatnot. Gonner's parents could definitely tell because the boy was doing things he normally wouldn't do just to impress her. He was cleaning himself a lot more frequently, working on his manners, and properly grooming himself. The more Gonner did things like that though over the week, his parents were just the mildest bit concerned that the boy was actually falling for the Grim girl, and, though their son didn't know it to their knowledge, they could not allow it should it completely alter their plans with someone else. A business partner, if you will. And if they could help it, they would make sure that Gonner nor Dixie would fall in love with one another. That would simply wreck everything!

"Oh, what are we to do about the arrangement with Nebulosa?" Mrs. Smith asked her husband in his study one night. It had been something that had been on the business woman's mind since her son met the neighbor girl. Had the company that they owned ran funeral homes, then the possibility of a romantic relationship for the two teenagers wouldn't have been so bad. However, the company that they owned didn't run funeral homes. The company manufactored and distributed little children's and teen's toys such as dolls and action figures and skateboards and bikes. The relationship just was not meant to be. Not with the arrangement that the two had already made with a business woman from Salem, Massachusetts.

"Gonner will marry her daughter Piroska as planned," Mr. Smith replied. "With or without Gonner's consent." The man wasn't as worried about his son's relationship with Dixie as his wife was. He believed that if it was going to happen, they would allow it to run its course until Gonner got bored with the girl and dumped her. He would rather that and just introduce his son to his betrothed as though they were meant to be friends and guide him into romancing her instead. If Gonner didn't dump Dixie, though, and actually planned to marry her, it would just take a bit of practiced meddling to break them apart.

Mrs. Smith sighed softly, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck. There was a nervous tick to her fingers as she lightly gripped the fabric of her husband's shirt right over his heart. "Oh, Jacob..." she whispered. "I would rather that we never had to make a deal with that bitter old woman..."

Mr. Smith patted her hand gently, sighing heavily. "I know," he whispered. "But it's for the best... We can't meddle and set it up to where Piroska will fall in love with another... She, like her mother and ourselves, knows her place... And we certainly can't pull out of the agreement lest Nebulosa will have our _heads_."

"Why did we even agree to her terms?" his wife questioned. "Yes, I understand that it's to merge our companies together, but it still bothers me greatly..." Nebulosa was an old woman, bitter and quick to anger. Experienced and equipped with a silver tongue, the old woman was the mother of a young, nineteen year old daughter by the name of Piroska. Like her mother, Piroska held a silver tongue, but she wasn't as quick to anger. No. She was more childlike, as though she were in a constant state of playing a game. She liked to play with emotions and a lot of the time, her manipulations worked to her advantage. If anyone had to describe the mischevious young woman in one word, that word would be _imp_.

"Nebulosa promised to pay for Gonner's college..." murmured Jacob. "You know that as well as I do, Marianne. If Gonner were to tell us that he didn't want to go to college, then maybe she would understand that we have more than enough reason to break off the engagement... Right?"

"I don't know... But until then... The show must go on..." Marianne murmured, a darkness washing over her features. She was contemplating just going ahead and calling the arrangement off, but that was just the young romantic inside of her.

Meanwhile, outside of the study, Gonner was glaring darkly at the wall. He had known about the stupid arrangement for _years_... and he still wanted nothing to do with it. He didn't like the idea of being forced to marry. It wasn't an aristocracy, for crying out loud! Mentally, he cursed his parents' weakness and stood. He wanted to go see Dixie. No, she would never learn of his family's arrangement, but... She would take his mind off of the stupidity of it all... Even if he risked falling for her in the process. He bit his lip some. He knew not to fall in love with her... It would break both of their hearts when the time came for Gonner to meet Piroska and _fall_ for her. Clenching his teeth, he felt tears in his eyes. Why? Why did he have to be born to a family who cared nothing about their son and cared only for the company they ran?

Okay, he knew that wasn't true. His parents cared a lot about him. He knew that! It was just... It was heart breaking to him that his parents never once asked him if he wanted to go to college or not. In fact, he had made no show of interest at all! Yet, did his parents ever noticed? Did they pay as much attention to their son as they thought they did? Gonner didn't think so... He wiped the tears from his eyes before they had the chance to fall. He would have to keep his heart cold for Dixie's sake... and for his own... As his own mother had said, _the show must go on_...

[xXx]

Dixie Grim sat on her bed, smiling to herself as she read her book. It was getting to the good part! At least, she thought so. Currently, the characters in her book were looking for representations of the four elements, already having one in their possession. Hearing a tap at her window, she jumped, slamming the book shut. She looked over and relaxed at the sight of Gonner grinning at her. Setting her book off to the side, she got up, walking over to the window and opening it. "What are you doing here, Gonner?" she questioned him softly. "Better yet, why didn't you just knock on the downstairs door? I would have come and answered it..."

"I wanted t' see ye, Dixie," smiled Gonner as he slipped into her bedroom. He looked as piratey as ever, his hair held back in a gray bandana, his clothes a bit wrinkled and ragged... Dixie would have to admit that something about his pirate appearance made her... feel warm and fuzzy for whatever reason. Where his clothing...? Oh, simply, they couldn't be _that_... They didn't cause _that_ kind of response from her! The male noticed the girl checking him out some and felt it twist at his heart. They would have to stay friends... No matter what. "Is there... something on me face?"

The purple haired girl jumped some, blushing lightly at the fact that she had been caught checking out her friend. "N-no," she assured him. "Just... I just noticed that you look extra... piratey today."

Gonner chuckled. "Extra piratey?" he teased the girl. He delicately took her hand, unaware that he just made her heart start to hammer against her ribs in her chest. "Dixie, I think ye need t' brush up on yer vocabulary."

Dixie shyly squeezed his hand. "Oh, don't give me that!" she told him softly. "I have a very good vocabulary, for your information." Sobering up some, she started to lace their fingers together. "So... You want to hang out since you're here?"

The male gave her hand a squeeze before pulling his own away. "Sure."

He couldn't fall in love with her. He couldn't because... well... The show must go on.


End file.
